I needed a new stealth rig and found this thread. My Zoom H2 is falling apart and the Sony A10 is too expensive now, so I bought the Olympus LS P5. First test last night at Rod Stewart using my Church CAFS mics and the P5's internal power (no battery pack). These days every venue is being more restrictive with bags, and I needed something that would be unobtrusive with a clear bag. I found a carrying pouch that fits it just fine.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BF9KW1K4?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1I used a Sharpie to cover up the words Record & Erase on the P5. I stuck it in the pouch mics-first and then left the pouch unzipped so security could see the bottom half of the unit. It was not a problem. As mentioned previously, the Bluetooth connection doesn't hold for all that long, so I paired the unit to my Android phone shortly before showtime. When the music started, I made sure I had the recording levels dialed in. I lost the connection after about 15 minutes, but I knew it would keep recording. After the show, I just hit the Stop button. Internal power worked just fine for the external mics, so no need for the battery pack. Audio quality was just fine.
Before the show, I tested the Olympus by placing it a foot in front of my stereo with the volume cranked. The internal mics perform very well for high volume, though the audio quality is not quite as good as using externals. My old Zoom H2 really couldn't handle even medium-loud volume before distorting. Anyway, I think this will do the job for a stealth rig. I will say that the menu is confusing, and I still haven't got it figured out. Sometimes you have to hit up or down to select a setting, and other times you hit left or right. I'm hoping I don't hit the wrong setting at some point. The Bluetooth instability is annoying, but all I need is for it to hold long enough to get the recording levels dialed in, so I can live with it.
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